1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to a joint structure for furniture which is capable of detachably interlocking two pieces of connecting members in very secure manner for supporting both proximate and distal applying loads on the furniture.
2. Description of Related Arts
Conventional furniture usually comprise a plurality of furniture members such as wooden panels or beams, in which two or more panels or beams are connected with each other and interlocked by conventional interlocking devices. This enables easy assembling or disassembling of the entire furniture piece for transportation or storage purpose.
As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B of the drawings, conventional furniture, such as a conventional bed frame, usually comprises a first frame member 10P having an end portion 11P and a side surface 12P formed thereon, a second frame member 20P having a coupling surface 21P for connecting with the end portion 11P of the first frame member 10P, and an interlocker 30P coupling the first frame member 10P with the second frame member 20P. The interlocker 30P usually comprises at least one connecting bolt 31P extended from the coupling surface 21P of the second frame member 20P, a bolt locker 32P having a interlocking slot 321P, and contains a locking hole 33P formed on the side surface 12P of the first frame member 10P, wherein the bolt locker 32P is positioned in the locking hole 33P, while the connecting bolt 31P is arranged to pass through the interlocking slot 321P. When the connecting bolt 31P is turned by a screwdriver, the connecting bolt 31P is locked up by the bolt locker 32P so that the first frame member 10P does not detach from the second frame member 20P.
There are several disadvantages in association with this conventional interlocking mechanism for furniture. First, most furniture is subject to certain amount of vibration when it is put in use. For example, a bed may be accidentally moved or subject to intermittent vibration when people sleep thereon. As time goes by, the bolt locker 32P will become loose and the connecting bolt 31P will not be securely locked so as to cause the connection between the first frame member 10P and the second frame member 20P to become loose. Moreover, all screwing connections will unscrew with time.
Second, the connection between the first frame member 10P and the second frame member 20P are solely supported by the connecting bolt 31P. Thus, the strength of the joint depends on the strength of the connecting bolt 31P. When the furniture is subject to heavy loading, such as a bed is subject to the weight of the user, the connecting bolt 31P may not be sufficiently strong to bear the corresponding loading. When the furniture is subject to vibration (as mentioned above), the connecting bolt 31P may break easily and this shortens the general life span of the furniture.
Third, when the first frame member 10P is connected to the second frame member 20P by using the conventional interlocker 30P mentioned above, there is a possibility that the first frame member 10P may be rotated with respect to the second frame member 20P. This is because the function of the interlocker 30P is merely to prevent the first frame member 20P from detaching from the second frame member 20P. It does not prevent the first frame member 20P from rotating with respect to the second frame member 20P.
Fourth, as shown in FIG. 1B of the drawings, when the first frame member 10P is connected to the second frame member 20P, a corner portion of the first frame member 10P adjacent to the interlocker 30P becomes very weak and vulnerable to excessive loads. This means when the loading to the first frame member 10P is large, the corner portion of the first frame member 10P will break very easily, especially when the loads are applied to a distal end of the first frame member 10P. In other words, conventional interlocker 30P fails to provide a firm and secure connection support between the first and the second frame member 10P, 20P.